The Manor SchoolOfsted inspection, 8 Dec 2005

122829 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEA LEA 281355 Inspection number 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 Inspection dates Mrs. Pam Haezewindt LI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Park Hall Road School address Comprehensive Type of school NG19 8QA Community School category 11 to 18 Age range of pupils 01623425100 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01623425101 Fax number 1493 Number on roll Mr.Ken Ball Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Jonathon Hickman Headteacher 20 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281355 7 December 2005 - 11 to 18 8 December 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors of schools and four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The Manor School is a larger than average comprehensive with an average size sixth form. It serves the former coal mining community of Mansfield Woodhouse. The very large majority of students are of White ethnic origin. A very small number are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The school has an average number of students eligible for free school meals and a lower than average number of students on the register of special educational needs. The school has been a specialist sports college since 1998.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school's judgement that it is satisfactory. The school provides satisfactory value for money. Students arrive in school with standards which are below, and sometimes well below, average and they make satisfactory progress. Personal development, teaching, curriculum, and care, support and guidance are satisfactory but each has some good and outstanding features. Teaching in lessons, whilst satisfactory overall, is often good and occasionally outstanding, challenging students very well. However, occasionally it is inadequate and such inconsistent practice means that some students do not get as good an experience as others. Sometimes, gifted and talented students are not well provided for, though talented athletes are very well supported. Religious education (RE) is not yet taught in Year 11 (there are plans to do so), nor in the sixth form, and a daily act of collective worship or reflection is still

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Grade: 3

not provided, an area for improvement in the last inspection. These factors contribute to the fact that spiritual development is not good enough. Sports college status has supported the development of the school very well, particularly adding to students' enjoyment in coming to school, developing their confidence and self esteem, developing understanding of healthy lifestyles and improving performance in physical education. There is very good provision for out of school activities and students contribute very well to the community. Almost all students said they enjoy coming to school and are proud of it. The school has satisfactory capacity to improve. Most of the weaknesses in the last inspection have been tackled. The school has demonstrated to inspectors that it knows itself well and that there are significant measures in place to improve students' achievement, although these are not yet sufficiently well or consistently

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Grade: 3

Inspectors and the school agree that the effectiveness and efficiency of the sixth form are satisfactory. Standards and progress in the sixth form are satisfactory. 'A' Level results were average in 2004 and fell slightly in 2005 because of the disappointing performance of a number of boys with poor attendance. The school is part of a local sixth form consortium offering a wide range of courses catering for students of all abilities. This has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of students in the most recent year. There is a programme of personal, health and social education (PHSE) and key skills for all students, but there is no religious education. Students behave maturely and enjoy their learning experiences. They appreciate the good care, guidance and support they receive from their tutors and the Head of Sixth form. This year, a former sixth form student nominated his tutor for 'Teacher of the Year'. Teaching and

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Grade: 3

learning in the sixth form are good. Progress interviews take place at least once a term. A particular strength of the sixth form is the partnership with the on-site special school and the integrated use of the common room and dining room. Students also provide good support to the special school students' activities. Leadership and management of the sixth form are satisfactory. 2 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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What the school should do to improve further

- Accelerate improvements in teaching, learning and assessment, and students' achievement and standards, by regularly ensuring that the initiatives in place for improvement are consistently applied at all levels across the school. - Improve the provision for the most able and gifted and talented students. - Improve spiritual education and comply with statutory requirements to provide a daily act of collective worship for all students.

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Grade: 3

Students enter the school with standards below and sometimes well below average. Taking this into account, progress throughout the school is satisfactory. In 2005 the results in the national curriculum tests at the end of Year 9 were below average but there was an improvement compared with 2004. Improvement was particularly marked in English where targets were exceeded and much higher levels were reached. Girls' achievement was close to the national average and boys made particularly good progress in writing due to the support the school had put in to raise literacy levels. Results in mathematics in 2005 were similar to those in 2004 but students reached more realistic targets and higher levels. In science, despite improvements in the numbers of students reaching higher levels, a significant minority did not make sufficient progress across the key stage and targets were not reached. These were higher than

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Grade: 3

those set for English and mathematics. The school is rigorously taking steps to improve performance in science. At the end of Year 11 in 2005 students' standards were below average. There was a slight improvement in GCSE results overall in 2005, and improvements in English and mathematics. The results in some other subjects improved considerably after intensive support but, as is usual, GCSE results vary between subjects. The school is well aware of those it needs to focus on particularly to make improvements to and has sound strategies in place to do so. A much higher proportion of girls than boys gained five or more good GCSE grades in both 2004 and 2005, but in 2005 there was a big improvement in the numbers of boys who gained five or more GCSE grades overall. Very few students leave school with no accreditation. In almost all lessons observed progress was at least satisfactory, and in over half it was good or better.

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Grade: 3

Overall, students with specific learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Many students talked about how they enjoyed their lessons.

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Grade: 3

Students' personal development and well-being are satisfactory with some features which are good or outstanding. This matches the school's evaluation. Most students attend regularly, show interest in their lessons and enjoy their education. Students feel safe at school because the majority behave well and act responsibly. However, poor behaviour in a few lessons adversely affects progress. Fixed period exclusions for unacceptable behaviour are high but the 'discipline for learning' initiative is 3 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 beginning to have an impact. Exclusions, which are still high in Years 10 and 11, are beginning to fall. Students' willingness to take responsibility is good. Members of the student council take its role seriously but they feel that the concerns they express are not always acted upon. Students develop well socially through the active and

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Grade: 3

collaborative learning activities in lessons and the many opportunities they have beyond the school day. Teachers' respect for students and the good atmosphere in school also have a beneficial effect upon students' social development. Almost all students show consideration for others, but a few do not respect the rights of others. Students' spiritual development is inadequate because staff miss opportunities to provide time for reflection in tutor time and subjects, and students in Year 11 and the sixth form are not yet taught RE. Contributions to the local community and beyond are excellent. The many activities, particularly the outstanding opportunities provided by the Sports College and the emphasis on healthy eating, encourage students to adopt healthy lifestyles. As one student said, ' Not a chip in sight '. Students have opportunities to develop an understanding of different cultures, for example through art and modern

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Grade: 3

languages and the range of visits to theatres and galleries, but inspectors saw few opportunities for students to develop their knowledge of multi-cultural Britain, a weakness highlighted in the last inspection. Students have opportunities to choose vocational courses from Year 10, which will help develop work related skills, but some students do not yet develop key skills to sufficiently high levels to benefit them well enough in later life.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and good in the sixth form. This judgement is consistent with the school's own view. During the inspection a range of teaching was observed. The majority of lessons were either satisfactory or good, and there were a few lessons which were outstanding. However, a few lessons were inadequate. The school recognises the crucial importance of improving the overall quality of teaching and learning and is taking steps to ensure that in future there is no unsatisfactory teaching. Good efforts are made to support the development of teachers' skills and this has resulted in improvements. There is not enough done to evaluate the impact of improved practice on students' achievement or to ensure that improvements are consistent throughout the school In most lessons, students were very clear about the purpose of their learning and the lessons were well structured to

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Grade for sixth form: 2

ensure the objectives of the lesson were met. The relationships between teachers and students were good overall and in the large majority of lessons students behaved well and had positive attitudes to their learning. In the most effective lessons, teachers checked carefully what students had learnt in previous lessons and ensured that their lessons met the needs of all students by planning different activities for groups or individuals or by providing a range of resources. Where lessons were less effective, 4 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 behaviour was not always good, sometimes because the lesson did not meet the students' needs. In these lessons, there was often a lack of challenge and students were not engaged. Overall, the needs of the lower ability students were met better than those of the most able. Very little use of technology to enhance teaching or

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Grade for sixth form: 2

learning was seen in the lessons observed. The use of assessment to support the learning of students has improved. Some good practice is being developed to involve students in assessing their own learning and that of their peers. This is not yet consistent in all curriculum areas. The assessment policy is not consistently applied and consequently some students do not receive regular guidance on what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

Curriculum provision is satisfactory. The school still does not meet statutory requirements for RE in Year 11 but the recent introduction of a joint personal, health and social education (PSHE) and RE course in Year 10 will move into Year 11 from 2006. There is also no RE in the sixth form. There is still no daily act of worship for all students because of the lack of suitable accommodation and no opportunities for reflection in tutor time. Information and Communication Technology is taught within other subjects in Years 7 and 8 and discretely from Year 9. In other respects there is a broad and balanced curriculum. By Year 9, students learn two European languages of three available, leading to a good level of take-up in Year 10 and beyond. Students who have learning difficulties and disabilities have access to the full curriculum and sporting activities for disabled students are supported by students undertaking sports

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Grade: 3

leadership qualifications. Provision for gifted and talented athletes is very good, but provision for most gifted and talented students is not well enough developed. These students can learn Mandarin, a result of the twinning with a school in Shanghai, but provision within day-to-day lessons is not consistently provided for. A strength of the school is the provision in Years 10 and 11 for vocational education, and for vulnerable students. Sports college status is at the heart of a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These include support for learning and very strong links with schools abroad. A wider choice of 'AS' and 'A' Level subjects is available since the creation of the local Post-16 consortium and also a one-year vocational course in collaboration with the local college. Careers education is good; it is taught as part of the PHSE course and all students undertake work experience in Year 10 and have an interview with a

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Grade: 3

Connexions adviser in Year 11. Advice and support continues throughout the sixth form.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is satisfactory. Databases and internal e-mails effectively track information on students' personal and academic development. Tutorials and progress interviews allow all students regular access to personal and academic 5 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 guidance. Students know how well they are doing because of the growing use of assessment data to track their progress. Reports to parents are now satisfactory. Those students with learning difficulties, special needs or who are struggling to remain motivated are well supported by specialist support staff, intervention strategies, nurture groups and the school's successful cooperation with outside agencies. Support with careers information and options, and consultations with parents, inform students well about their next steps in education. Students say they are confident to seek help or

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Grade for sixth form: 2

advice, and informal occasions, such as at the breakfast club, provide them with easy access to an adult to talk to. Health and safety procedures and risk assessments are reviewed regularly. The school's attention has been drawn to the need to continue to seek professional advice to ensure a minor safety requirement is met. Child protection procedures are secure and well known to staff and students. Absences are followed up promptly throughout the day. The School Council, in conjunction with staff, is dealing with concerns about some bullying through an effective anti-bullying campaign. Students consider that there has been an improvement in the school's handling of bullying issues. The large majority of parents and carers are happy with the school.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The head teacher has successfully built a staff team that demonstrates a strong commitment to do all they can for the students. The leadership and management of the specialist sport and community aspects of the school are good. The senior leadership team (SLT) has an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses and is sharply focused on raising standards. It has introduced a range of initiatives and systems designed to do this. Where these are rigorously applied there is good evidence of impact, such as in the improvement in overall results at Key Stage 3 in 2005 and in some subjects at Key Stage 4. However, in some aspects the SLT is not direct enough with the staff to ensure school policies and agreed practice are implemented in all areas. An example of this is the variation in the quality assurance of teaching and learning and evaluation at faculty level. The school has recognised

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Grade: 3

this and plans are in place to bring about greater consistency. The way in which the school checks on the progress of the students over time is good. However, at present this information is not used consistently by individual teachers to plan lessons that meet the needs of all learners. The school has done well to bring about considerable improvements to the accommodation since the last inspection. For example, the excellent sport and recreation centre and the new sixth form centre provide high quality accommodation that is much appreciated by the students. In contrast, some areas of the school are in urgent need of refurbishment. The school provides satisfactory value for money. Governors are supportive of the school and are committed to do the best for the students. They Chair of Governors has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and challenges the school on its performance. Links with

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Grade: 3

other services are good. The school consults parents and students about school developments, but some students feel that the reasons for the decisions taken are not always clearly explained. Leadership and management provide the school with satisfactory capacity to improve. 6 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: The Manor School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Inspection judgements

3 3 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 2 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage 3 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation Yes Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Inspection judgements

Achievement and standards 3 3 How well do learners achieve? 3 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Inspection judgements

3 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being 3 3 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 3 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 3 The behaviour of learners 3 3 The attendance of learners 1 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 3 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Inspection judgements

The quality of provision 2 3 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 3 3 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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Inspection judgements

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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Annex A

Leadership and management 3 3 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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Annex A

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the

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Annex A

wider community The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

On behalf of the inspectors and myself who visited your school on the 7th and 8th of December 2005 I would like to thank you for contributing to the inspection. You welcomed us very warmly, helped us find our way around the school, and talked to us very willingly about your school. We were pleased to find that The Manor School provides a satisfactory standard of education for you. This is what we found out about the school: - Staff want to do their very best for you. - Most of you make satisfactory progress during your time at school and some of you make good progress in some subjects. - Most of you behave well around the school, and in lessons, and enjoy them. - Staff are making every effort to improve the behaviour of the few students who disrupt lessons and help those who are less motivated to learn. - Most lessons are at least satisfactory and some are good or excellent. Just a few do not challenge you enough and so

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you do not learn as much as you could. - We did not see enough technology used to help you learn. - Most of your parents or carers, like you, are happy with the school. - The sports college is managed well. Most of you take part in and enjoy the benefits that being a good sports college brings. For example, excellent opportunities to be physically healthy, excellent out of school activities and opportunities to contribute to the community. It has also brought improved accommodation and resources. - The head teacher and staff have systems in place to improve the school. We have asked the school to see that you all make as much progress as you possibly can and make regular checks to see that you do. We have also asked the school to ensure that your spiritual education is improved. This means, for example, that you all have more opportunities to reflect on your lives, those of others, on how wondrous our world can be, and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

what amazing developments take place in it. You could play a part by suggesting things to do in subjects and tutor time. Thank you again for your warm welcome. We enjoyed visiting The Manor School.

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